CNB’s Workload and Resourcing Measures Due to MHA Supporting HSA in Tackling Vapes and Kpods

Question:

Mr Ng Shi Xuan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the new workload that CNB has taken on arising from the classification of etomidate and its analogues as Class C controlled drugs; and (b) what are the measures that the Ministry has taken to ensure that CNB has adequate manpower and resources to handle this additional workload, without compromising its operations.

Mr Ng Shi Xuan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many officers from CNB have been seconded to HSA to tackle the scourge of "Kpods"; (b) what are the mean and median secondment periods for these officers; and (c) how many additional officers have been recruited or are planned by CNB to supplement its workforce during this period.

Answer:

Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs:

1. Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) have been supporting Ministry of Health (MOH) in the enforcement, investigation and prosecution of trafficking syndicates as well as the enforcement against abusers in relation to vaping. Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has stepped up enforcement at the checkpoints. SPS has dedicated resources to carry out rehabilitation for etomidate abusers who are sent to its Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Several hundred Home Team officers are supporting these operations.

2. To manage the increased workload, Home Team Departments are recruiting additional officers on a temporary basis, until Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is able to stabilise its resourcing and operations to deal with vapes and etomidate. This is expected to take between six months and a year.

3. In addition, as of 15 September 2025, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has seconded 13 officers to HSA to assist with vaping investigations and rehabilitation of vape abusers. The officers are seconded for a period of six months for now. We have also referred over 300 retired Police, CNB and Prisons officers to HSA to consider for recruitment.

4. These efforts by Home Team Departments do impose challenges on existing operations. As has been stated on several occasions, the Home Team was already facing manpower challenges.

5. However, given the national needs, MHA officers have been asked to shoulder the additional workload, for a limited period.